Chapter 493: The Story's Script is Just Like Back Then (Revised)

Mu Yi had a Peace Pendant. This was exactly why Liu Xiaoyue had taken an interest in him.

Through this Peace Pendant, he had secured several connections to the Central Region for Liu Xiaoyue.

It was also thanks to this jade pendant that he had stood out in the Shen Family, becoming their primary investment candidate.

And now, he was going to use this jade pendant to send Yan Jing away.

Just like back then.

"The weather is truly wonderful today."

Humming a little tune, he sat back down in his recliner.

Creak.

A massive door, several decimeters thick, was pushed open. Frigid air, so cold it nearly condensed into frost, rushed out.

Yan Jing waved a hand, dispersing the chill, and stepped into the room.

"Lord Yan, I won't disturb you any further," the secretary beside him said.

"Mm. Go ahead."

Yan Jing nodded.

The door shut once more.

Yan Jing swept his gaze across the room, taking in the decor.

The lighting was dim. Only two cold lamps hung on the wall opposite the door, casting a grayish-white glow.

Beneath the light sat a bed, where a figure lay beneath a white blanket on white sheets.

It was a face Yan Jing recognized.

Ye Jinyuan.

The lone wolf hailed as the strongest under Liu Xiaoyue—Deputy Domain Lord Ye.

But right now, he didn't look too good.

A breathing apparatus covered his mouth.

"I didn't expect you to be the one to walk in."

Ye Jinyuan forced his eyes open to a narrow slit, his pale lips twitching slightly.

Yan Jing nodded.

"She lost."

"So I came in instead."

"When she first mentioned you to me, I was actually quite surprised."

"I still remember the last time I saw you. You were just a little guy around the third or fourth tier."

"Looking back, that passage that day—did you open it?"

Ye Jinyuan asked.

That day, he had burned a century of his lifespan to fend off the siege of three people from Minhu. Just as he reached the end of his rope, a passage to the outside world had suddenly opened in the distance, drawing the gaze of the Source of Mutation.

Mu Yi had a Peace Pendant, which was exactly why Liu Xiaoyue had taken an interest in him.

Relying on this pendant, he had secured several connections to the Central Region for Liu Xiaoyue.

It was also thanks to this jade pendant that he had stood out within the Shen Family, becoming their primary invested party.

And now, he was going to use it to send Yan Jing away.

Just like back then.

"The weather today is truly wonderful."

Humming a little tune, he sat back down in his recliner.

Creak.

A massive door, several decimeters thick, was pushed open. Frigid air, so cold it nearly condensed into frost, billowed out.

Yan Jing waved a hand, dispersing the chill, and stepped into the room.

"Lord Yan, I'll leave you to it," the secretary beside him said.

"Mm. Go ahead."

Yan Jing nodded.

The door shut once more.

Yan Jing swept his gaze across the room, taking in the decor.

The lighting was dim. Only two cold lamps hung on the wall opposite the door, casting a grayish-white glow.

Beneath the light sat a bed where a figure lay atop white sheets, covered by a white blanket.

It was a face Yan Jing recognized.

Ye Jinyuan.

The lone combatant hailed as the strongest under Liu Xiaoyue—Deputy Domain Lord Ye.

But right now, he didn't look so well.

A breathing apparatus covered his mouth.

"I didn't expect you to be the one to walk in."

Ye Jinyuan forced his eyes open to a narrow slit, his pale lips twitching slightly.

Yan Jing nodded.

"She lost."

"So I came in instead."

"When she first mentioned you to me, I was actually quite surprised."

"I still remember the last time I saw you. You were just a little guy around the third or fourth tier."

"Looking back, that passage that day—did you open it?"

Ye Jinyuan asked.

That day, he had burned a century of his lifespan to fend off a siege by three people from Minhu. Just as he reached the end of his rope, a passage to the outside world suddenly opened in the distance, drawing the gaze of the Source of Mutation.

He had been ecstatic. When he rushed to the well, he noticed Yan Jing was gone, but he hadn't thought much of it at the time.

Now that he thought about it, that passage was very likely Yan Jing's doing.

Yan Jing was noncommittal, offering a faint smile.

"Consider it a helping hand."

"I'm curious, though. Without me, how did you plan to fend off the Source of Mutation?"

Hearing Yan Jing's implicit admission, Ye Jinyuan chuckled.

"A piece of Pseudo-Divine Source."

"But just as I was about to go through the passage, that old man returned."

"So I had to use the Pseudo-Divine Source early."

"Don't tell me that old man was connected to you, too."

Yan Jing just smiled and said nothing.

That old man was Old Master Liu's master. Technically speaking, there really was a connection.

"But I lost the bet in the end." Ye Jinyuan raised a hand, trying to prop himself up, but it fell weakly back onto the blankets. As if finding his current state somewhat pathetic, a self-deprecating smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

"What lay beyond that passage wasn't where I wanted to go."

"Or perhaps it was, but the place had already been destroyed."

"What was there?" Yan Jing asked.

Ye Jinyuan gave a weak laugh.

"Nothing. It looked as though some entity had devoured it clean. The earth was shattered, the Heavenly Dao was fractured, and only scattered chunks of land remained, floating in the void. I couldn't find an exit, nor could I find a way back."

"I explored for days but found absolutely nothing. Instead, I drew the attention of the Source of Mutation. Left with no other choice, I had to use an item to return."

"But right as I was about to withdraw, I ended up taking a direct hit from the Source of Mutation."

"If the domain lord hadn't activated the Moon Artifact, Return to Life, I would already be dead."

Yan Jing nodded.

"Then you should be able to guess why I'm here."

"You've come for Return to Life?"

Ye Jinyuan used the last of his strength to pull down the blanket, exposing his chest to Yan Jing. Right over his heart, a meteorite-like stone was embedded in his flesh.

The stone seemed to have grown into his body, its surface crawling with intricate veins. Faint specks of light continuously pulsed from the stone into his heart. This was one of Yueyin's three great Moon Artifacts—Return to Life.

"Smart,"

Yan Jing praised.

"Take it," Ye Jinyuan said, taking a deep breath.

"There are many people who dislike the domain lord, but I'm not one of them."

"She showed me grace, and I can't deny that."

"You and I could never have ended up on the same side."

Yan Jing nodded and reached out toward Return to Life. Weird Energy surged, enveloping the stone as it slowly detached from Ye Jinyuan's chest.

Ye Jinyuan's face grew visibly paler by the second.

Deep wrinkles surfaced around his eyes, his mouth, and across his forehead. His vitality rapidly withered away.

In just a few seconds, he went from a dashing, white-haired young gentleman to a dying old man with one foot in the grave.

"You... you have to... hurry up and kill... Mu Yi..."

Ye Jinyuan managed to say, his cloudy pupils already beginning to dilate.

"You're too strong. Your talent is too great... He'll... he'll find people from the Central Region... to take you away."

"Or perhaps... he already has... You need to find someone you trust... to take over for you... otherwise, Mu Yi will... seize..."

With those final words, Ye Jinyuan's head lolled to the side, and he breathed his last.

Of the three people Liu Xiaoyue had favored most to become candidates, only Mu Yi was left.

Yan Jing's expression remained indifferent at Ye Jinyuan's final warning.

Even if Ye Jinyuan hadn't said a thing, he was already planning to deal with Mu Yi.

It was just like back in Ling'an, when he had decided to drive out the major families.

He wouldn't allow any threats to exist within his own domain.

He summoned Xiao Xin and spoke softly, "Go find him."

"Yiya yiya~ (Which one?)"

"The first one."

Three hours later.

Yan Jing and Shen Youran stepped off the plane.

At the airport, two groups were already waiting in formation.

The group led by Long Qiancheng spoke up first.

"A warm welcome to Domain Lord Yan!"

Leading the other group was a sharp, capable-looking woman. She shot a glance to her side, and the people next to her immediately led the rest of their group in a chorus: "Welcome to the Xue Family, Domain Lord Yan and Madam Shen! Please grant us your guidance!"

Yan Jing looked at the smiling patriarch and matriarch of the two major families, his gaze indifferent.

"Where is Mu Yi?"

Hearing this, Long Qiancheng and the Xue Family's matriarch both looked a little awkward.

It took a few seconds before Long Qiancheng finally spoke.

"Domain Lord, the Mu Family... they're holding a funeral over there... so... so..."

Two hours ago, Long Qiancheng had actually been planning to head to the First Ring Domain with gifts. But then he had suddenly received news that Yan Jing was on his way here.

Realizing what was going on, he immediately brought his people over to wait at the airport.

And sure enough...

"Lead the way."

Yan Jing said mildly.

The two immediately turned around to personally lead the way at the front.

The atmosphere was incredibly stiff the whole way. As they walked, the head of the Xue Family "accidentally" matched her pace with Shen Youran and whispered, "Madam Shen... about what happened back then... we were deeply in the wrong..."

The Xue Family head continued, "Our... our Xue Family was coerced by the other two families... We are truly... so sorry..."

She had prepared this excuse well in advance, but she also knew that the more she said, the more likely she was to make a mistake. Therefore, she just left it at that.

Shen Youran just nodded, neither accepting the apology nor rejecting it.

Flying into a rage was something a little girl would do.

With Yan Jing by her side, she had to mind the optics.

Besides, none of this was what she cared about the most.

Seeing that Shen Youran didn't reply, the Xue Family head didn't feel embarrassed. On the contrary, she breathed a sigh of relief.

This was already the best-case scenario.

At the very least, Yan Jing hadn't said a word about it.

She had made the right bet.

The group piled into cars and drove through the main city. Soon, they turned into an alley paved with bluestone slabs.

Like the Long Family's estate, this place was rich with antique charm.

It featured fine, intricately carved window frames, white stone walls, and stone-carved birds and beasts perched upon the eaves.

But now, white cloth was draped everywhere.

It was a rather vexing sight.

Before they had even fully entered the alley, mournful wails drifted out from inside, as if they were weeping for the dead.

"Domain Lord Liu! Oh, Domain Lord Liu!"

Someone inside had apparently fainted from crying and was being carried out.

Yan Jing watched the procession of people in full mourning garb carry the unconscious person past him. A faint smirk touched his lips.

This Mu Yi was far more interesting than he had imagined.

Taking in the scene, Shen Youran stood on her tiptoes and whispered into Yan Jing's ear.

"If the timing isn't right today, there's no rush..."

Yan Jing nodded, his gaze indifferent.

Beside them, Long Qiancheng looked slightly embarrassed.

"Actually, I spoke to the Mu Family's head about this. I told him it was highly inappropriate to hold a memorial so soon after you took office, but he..."

Long Qiancheng trailed off.

Yan Jing raised a hand to cut him off and smiled.

"It's fine. Let's go in and take a look."

The group walked down the alley until they reached the main gate.

Two servants stood at the door and asked, "May I ask who you distinguished guests might be?"

"Are you also here for the memorial service?"

Yan Jing smiled.

"Go in and tell them my name is Yan Jing—"

"Lord Yan!" Before Yan Jing could even finish, Mu Yi appeared from inside the gates.

He wore a white mourning headband and white clothes, his face stained with fresh tears.

He rushed over, taking the steps two at a time, until he reached Yan Jing.

"Lord Yan! What brings you here? Are you also here... for Domain Lord Liu?"

His expression as he spoke was the picture of perfect sincerity.

Beside him, a group of people held up video cameras and smartphones, all recording.

Mu Yi offered an apologetic smile and explained, "Lord Yan, Mu Yi is merely doing this to give the citizens of Yueyin an opportunity to mourn Domain Lord Liu through a screen."

"After all, Yueyin is not particularly wealthy yet. Not everyone can afford a plane ticket to the Third Ring Domain."

"Mu Jiao," he called out to someone.

A man immediately stepped up to Yan Jing holding a tablet.

"Lord Yan, here are the citizens paying their respects to Domain Lord Liu. There are about thirty or forty thousand condolences. Would you like to leave a reward..." He paused. "Or perhaps I could read them to you?"

Yan Jing laughed.

"There's no need."

"I'm primarily here to discuss business with the Mu Family's Patriarch."

Mu Yi feigned surprise.

"So you aren't here to mourn Domain Lord Liu? Then why bring such a large entourage?"

He glanced behind Yan Jing, and someone next to him immediately moved a camera closer.

Yan Jing's smile only grew brighter.

Mu Yi was trying to disgust him.

He had first seized control of the public narrative, then publicly questioned his motives, and was now using the cameras to force Yan Jing's hand so he couldn't just attack.

Three hours ago, the First Ring Domain's media department had just issued a statement declaring that Liu Xiaoyue had tragically died during a combat drill. This had explained the scenes that had leaked earlier, while simultaneously paving the way for Yan Jing to join Zodiac as her replacement.

Mu Yi's little stunt right now was nothing more than a stalling tactic.

Shen Youran pursed her lips and spoke up, "Yes, we are here to mourn—"

"We're here to arrest you," Yan Jing cut in.

Shen Youran's eyes widened as she stared at Yan Jing.

This was obviously a trap set by Mu Yi. It was entirely possible that people from the Central Region were already waiting inside the courtyard, waiting for Yan Jing to strike first.

But Yan Jing just smiled faintly.

"Mu Yi, years ago, you murdered the head of the Shen Family—a man deeply valued by Domain Lord Liu—with utter disregard for basic morals and ethics. In the years since, you have repeatedly bypassed Domain Lord Liu to secretly contact the Central Region with the intent to rebel!"

"I am now arresting you on the charge of endangering the security of Yueyin."

The moment he finished speaking, Yan Jing reached out a hand.

Mu Yi's expression drastically changed, and he immediately made a mad dash for the courtyard.

But there was no way he could escape. Yan Jing simply clenched his hand, unleashing a powerful cyclone. The tremendous suction force dragged Mu Yi backward toward Yan Jing's palm. Just as he was about to be caught, the jade pendant on Mu Yi's body suddenly lit up.

The phantom of an old man in ragged clothes drifted out of the pendant, reaching out to intercept Yan Jing's grasp.

Their hands collided.

The old man's phantom was violently forced back several steps, while Yan Jing remained rooted to the spot.

Yet, a look of joy flashed across the old man's face.

"Good. Very good. So it's true."

"I hear your name is Yan Jing."

"I am." Yan Jing nodded with a smile. However, his gaze bypassed the phantom entirely, landing directly on Mu Yi. That stare sent a chill down Mu Yi's spine, shattering his newfound confidence. The old man continued, "You're quite impressive. From now on, you'll follow me and inherit my legacy."

The old man smiled.

"I should arrive in Yueyin in about four or five hours."

"The Twelve Desolate Realms are simply too remote. You'll never achieve anything great by staying here."

Yan Jing smiled.

"Might I ask what Tier you are?"

The old man chuckled smugly.

"I am a hundred and thirty-four years old this year, but I have already peaked at the Ninth Tier. Once I accumulate enough divinity, I will advance to the Tenth Tier."

"Furthermore, I have already forged my own path. Once I reach the Tenth Tier, there is a very good chance I will bring my own path to absolute perfection."

"Once you arrive in the Central Region, you can simply invoke my name. My honorary title is Nian."

"As for the boy who summoned me, don't touch him. I have an agreement with him."

Nian...

Yan Jing showed no reaction, but Shen Youran, Long Qiancheng, and the Xue Family's head all paled drastically.

This honorary title was legendary.

It wasn't because he was constantly in the news.

It was simply because this honorary title held a rank on the Central Region's Player Leaderboard.

He was ranked in the top three hundred, and he was an established veteran at that rank.

In other words, if Yan Jing followed this old man, his future in this life was absolutely secured.

He would enjoy a meteoric rise, and he would command respect no matter where he went.

It was far, far better than rotting away as a domain lord in a desolate territory like Yueyin.

"Think it over."

The old man smiled as he continued, "Of course, it would be best if you didn't refuse. I don't like being rejected."

A gleam of triumph flashed in Mu Yi's eyes.

He glanced at Shen Youran, who was already looking unwell, and an imperceptible smirk touched the corner of his lips.

So many years had passed.

But the ending was going to be exactly the same.

Silence.

Several seconds of utter silence.

Everyone was waiting for Yan Jing to speak, eager to see what he would say.

In the midst of the silence, Shen Youran reached out and gently tugged on the hem of Yan Jing's clothes.

"Say yes, Xiao Yanzi."

Shen Youran said softly.

Say yes.

It was the exact same script as back then. It might even lead to the exact same ending, but she wanted to make a different choice this time.

No more begging, no more asking him to stay, only to end in a bitter parting. This time, she would choose the path that was right for him.

Because she believed that, one day, Yan Jing would return.

He would return to fulfill the promise they had made back then.

Even if she was pushing eighty and had one foot in the grave by then.

But she knew Yan Jing would come back for her.

"Well? Have you thought it over?" the old man asked, growing impatient.

He had expected the boy to be wild with joy. Yan Jing's complete indifference left him feeling rather displeased.

"I have."

Yan Jing nodded.

The old man looked satisfied.

"Very good. Then—"

Bang!

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Yan Jing unleashed a punch he had been charging up for several seconds, completely shattering the old man's phantom to pieces.